Telescoping garage



P 23, 1958 F. BIGNARDI 2,852,814

TELESCOPING GARAGE Filed July 20, 1955 INVENTOR. EL l/EZ/O F: B/GNARD/ T ORNE' Y lllite 2,852,8l4 Patented Sept. 23, 19553 2,852,t514 rnrnscornso GARAGE Eivezio I Eignardi, Santa Maria, Calif. Application liuly 2t), 1955, Serial No. 523,297 Claims. (Cl. 20-113) My invention relates to automobile protection structures and has particular reference to a garage having tele scoping parts that may be expanded to protect an additional automobile or automobiles.

While my invention is not limited to residential garage facilities I believe that it is presently most needed in that field. The trend toward several automobiles in one family creates an auto housing problem that is frequently severe. This is especially pressing in the case of small lots that cannot adequately accommodate a two or three car garage. My invention makes possible the construction of a garage that uses no more ground area than a single car garage and yet can be movably expanded as needed to protect several autos. Furthermore, my invention utilizes the driveway area as the floor space for this additional garage structure.

My invention is also useful in converting an existing single car garage to a multiple garage structure. In this fashion older homes having a single car garage can be modernized to proivde multiple car protection without adding to the ground area occupied by garage structures. The problem of garages for buildings converted into more numerous dwelling units is also solved by my invention.

It is a general object of my invention to provide a telescoping garage structure.

Another object is to provide a portable telescoping garage structure that can fit within a stationary garage structure.

Another object is to provide a garage that is expansible to employ garage driveway as the flooring of the expanded part of the garage.

A still further object is to provide a telescoping garage wherein relative movements of the parts is obtained by a power driven mechanism.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent in the following description and claims considered together with the accompanying drawings forming an integral part of this specification in which:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a telescoping garage embodying the invention but with the roof portion removed from the movable element,

Fig. 2 is a partial isometric view of the movable element of the garage of Fig. 1 wherein a roof construction is provided,

Fig. 3 is an elevation view, partly in section, of the garage elements of Fig. 1 disposed in telescoped condi tion,

Fig. 4 is an end view of a movable garage element provided with a power drive for moving it with respect to the other garage element.

Referring to Fig. 1 the invention is illustrated as embodied in a permanent garage building that is stationary having a movable garage element 11 that may telescope within the building 10, but is illustrated in its extended position. The garage building 10 may be permanently affixed to the ground, although it will be apparent that both garage elements may be movable. The movable element 11 may rest upon and be supported by a garage driveway 12 although any suitable area may be employed.

The stationary building 10 may be of any desired construction and there is illustrated the usual ridge roof 13, window 14 and overhead garage door 16. The floor 15 may be paving.

The movable garage element 11 may have any suitable construction and the frame may be formed of metal, Wood or other structural material. For illustration only, metal tubing is disclosed and accordingly the element 10 may have four upright legs 17 joined to orthogonal fittings 18 which in turn may receive horizontal members 19 which form a rectangle. A wheel 21. or other mechanism may be disposed at the bottom of each leg 17 to make the garage element 11 mobile. These wheels 21 may be of any desired construction and at present I prefer small rubber tired wheels of the type currently used on wheelbarrows.

Illustrated in Fig. 2 is a roof structure applied to the movable garage element 11. Various types of metal or plastic roofing are satisfactory and there is illustrated a textile roofing sheet 22 placed over a ridge timber 23 and drawn over opposite frame members 19. The sheet may be secured in any desired fashion as by lacing 24 connecting the edges of sheet 22 to a tube or pipe 26 held by suitable brackets 27 on each leg17. The ridge member 23 may be of metal but a wooden 2 x 6 is illustrated.

Illustrated in Fig. 3 is the telescoped position of the garage elements 11) and 11. There it will be noted that the mobile element 11 fits under the garage door 16 so that it can fit completely within the stationary garage element 10. An auto may fit under the mobile element 11 whether disposed outside the element 10 as in Fig. 1 or inside it as in Fig. 3. Preferably the relative proportions and dimensions are such that the garage door 16 may be closed with the element 11 and an auto inside.

It will be appreciated that the dimensions of the mobile element11 permit a car to be driven under it for protection from rain and sun. Preferably its construction is such that the sides are open so that auto doors may be freely opened without restriction.

Illustrated in Fig. 4 is a modification of the invention wherein a motor is used to give power for movement of the mobile element. Vertical legs 17a may have wheels 21a secured to the lower ends thereof to render the unit mobile. Orthogonal fittings Ida may have a horizontal member 1% secured thereto. The horizontal member 1% may have an electric motor 31 mounted thereon in any suitable fashion and power may be applied to this motor through an extension wire 32 or other conductor connected to a suitable electric outlet either in the stationary garage element, in the dwelling building immediately adjacent, or elsewhere. This electric cord or conductor may be connected to a reversible manual switch 30 to control the direction of rotation. of the motor 31. lournaled in the upright legs 17a and in a bearing 33 attached tothe motor 31 may be a horizontal rotating shaft 34 driven by a large spur gear 36. The gear 36 in turn may be driven by a small spur gear 37 connected directly to the motor 31. Disposed on the outer ends of the shaft 34 may e sprockets which in turn may drive link chains 33. The chains 38 may drive sprockets secured in driving relation to the wheels 21a. in Fig. 4 the sprockets are not illustrated being covered by the endless link chains 3%. The wheels 21a may ride on the smooth surface of a garage driveway but there is illustrated in Fig. 4 a garage driveway 41 having recessed tracks 42 in the form of grooves. These groove tracks 42 accordingly act to maintain the alignment of the entire mobile element so that it may telescope with certainty with a stationary garage element.

In the operation of the device of Fig. 4- the operator may manually operate the switch 35 to cause the motor 31 to rotate in the desired direction. The motor will then drive the small spur gear 37 which in turn drives the large spur gear 36 to cause rotation of the shaft 34. The shaft 34 in turn causes movement of the endless chains 38 driving through sprockets the wheels 21a. The wheels in turn cause the entire mobile element to move in the desired direction to either extend the telescoping garage or to telescope it.

The operation of the garage of Figs. 1 through 3 is effected by manual movement. The garage is shown in telescoped condition in Fig. 3 and if it is desired to extend the garage to accommodate an additional vehicle, the mobile element 11 is manually pushed or pulled to the left in Fig. 3 until it takes a position outside of the stationary garage element as illustrated in Fig. 1. This position of the movable element 11 not only permits protection of an additional vehicle thereunder (when provided with a roof as shown in Fig. 2) but also permits the vehicle housed in the garage element It) to drive completely through the mobile element 11. The mobile element 11 therefore acts as a garage for an additional vehicle and may act as a tunnel for the original vehicle. When not in use the two elements are telescoped as in Fig. 3 with the single vehicle disposed in the garage being freely accessible though covered by the mobile element 11.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in my development without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. For example, special telescoping structures can be made rather than utilization of a conventional stationary garage combined with a movable element. The movable element may be completely enclosed if desired as with sheet metal or other siding material and may be provided with doors at both ends so that the vehicle can be secured against intrusion. If desired, metal tracks may be used to guide the mobile element in which case metal wheels may be employed. Suitable brakes, of course, can be used to prevent inadvertent movement of the mobile element or elements by wind, inclination of the driveway, etc. For these and various other reasons I do not limit myself to the precise embodiment illustrated but claim all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with a single car garage and a driveway connected thereto, a portable garage open on opposite ends comprising: a plurality of vertical uprights; rotatable ground engaging elements on the bottom of the uprights; a roof frame secured to the top of the uprights, and a roof disposed on the roof frame, said portable garage being of such dimension with relation to the single .car garage that it telescopes therein and in addition permits reception of an automobile under the portable garage, and may be moved on the rotatable elements to extend over the driveway to house an additional auto.

2. A telescoping garage comprising: a permanent garage building secured to the ground and having a garage door opening; a driveway connected to said garage at the opening; a mobile garage element open on opposite ends of such dimension as to fit within said garage door opening to telescope completely Within the permanent garage building; a controllable directional motor mounted on said mobile garage element for driving the same over said driveway into and out of telescoping relationship with the permanent garage element; and driving means connected to the motor to move the mobile garage.

3. In combination with a permanent garage structure having a garage door opening and with a driveway connected to the garage at the opening, a mobile garage structure comprising: a plurality of vertical support elements, wheels mounted on the bottom of the support elements; an elongated roof frame secured to the top of the vertical support elements; a roof structure mounted on the roof frame and having a vertical dimension from the wheel bottoms and a horizontal dimension that permits the entire assembly to fit within the garage door opening; a motor incorporated within the mobile garage structure; a shaft rotatably driven by the motor and journalled within the mobile garage structure; at least one driving sprocket on said shaft; at least one sprocket secured to one wheel; and a chain drive interconnecting the shaft sprocket and the wheel sprocket to cause rotation of the wheel by the motor to thereby drive the mobile garage element into and out of telescoping relationship with the permanent garage, said elongated mobile garage being open at the short ends thereof for passage of an automobile therethrough, and being substantially open along the sides to permit opening of automobile doors.

4. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein tracks are provided along said driveway for guiding the rotatable elements so that the mobile garage element may have positive alignment with the permanent garage element.

5. A telescoping garage that is extensible to protect an additional automobile comprising: a permanent garage secured to the ground and having an automobile opening larger than the dimensions of an automobile to be housed therein; a driveway leading to said permanent garage opening; and an elongated mobile garage open at the short ends thereof and having a transverse cross section that is externally smaller than said garage opening and internally large enough to pass the automobile to be housed in the permanent garage, whereby the mobile garage can be stored in the permanent garage when not in use, and extended over said drive to protect an addi tional auto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,456,478 White May 22, 1923 1,896,433 Windeknecht Feb. 7, 1933 2,212,757 Stout Aug. 27, 1940 2,698,629 Hall Jan. 4, 1955 

